The Versa is Fitbit’s latest attempt at a smartwatch. It is similar to the Fitbit Ionic, but lacks GPS and has a much more friendly, smoothed-off design.

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By
WIRED

Losing GPS also let Fitbit cut the price to £200, giving it a wider appeal. And if you take your phone out for a run, the Versa can “borrow” its GPS signal for full tracking.

As it runs a relatively new platform with a small fan base, the Versa apps selection is limited. However, with a three- to four-day battery life it needs much less upkeep than an Apple or Wear watch.

It’s a great watch for the basics: notifications, fitness tracking, music control and, in the UK, wireless payments. There’s a Philips Hue app, too, enabling smart light control from your wrist. What's more, the 50-metre water resistance lets you wear the Versa in the shower and swimming pool, too.

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Since the new dawn of smartwatches, Samsung has rejected Wear OS and used its own Tizen OS software instead. It tried this with phones. It didn’t work out too well. However, the
Samsung Gear S3 (£250)
proves in some ways it’s actually better than Google’s effort.

The interface is built around the watch’s round face and its rotating bezel, for a tactile intuitiveness Wear watches can’t match. Battery life is also miles better than that of any Wear device, lasting for 3-4 days rather than one.

Thanks in part to Samsung’s cavernously deep pockets, there are also several great apps for Tizen OS, including Runkeeper. If you want to try dozens upon dozens of smartwatch apps, you’ll be better off with an Apple Watch or Wear OS band. Having tried most of the big hitters, we can tell you you’re not missing that much, though.

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